Beauty And The Beast
by Cakedecorator
Summary: In an attempt to get vanilla beans for Carly, Yosef unintentionally runs afoul a monster in his own castle. In exchange for his life and for the vanilla, either Yosef himself or Carly must live with the beast for the rest of their life. At first, Carly is scared half to death, but will there be more to this monster than meets the eye? Rated T for kisses and swears.
1. Chapter 1

**Here's 'Beauty And The Beast'! When on a business trip, Yosef winds up stranded and lost in the snowy woods during a blizzard. Desperate for shelter, he winds up finding a castle like something out of a dream. However, when he attempts to take some vanilla beans (even he admits that it's impossible in that weather) for Carly, one of his workers, he runs afoul the owner of the castle – a beast! Yosef manages to escape with his life, but with one catch: either he comes back to stay with the beast within the week, or he sends Carly in his place.**

 **Carly, whom Yosef sees as a daughter, feels responsibility and goes to the beast. Fearing for her life, but knowing Yosef is safe, Carly gets thrown for a loop at what this beast is** ** _really_** **like.**

 **The song in this story is "You'll Never Win My Love" from "Beauty And The Rock Promoter", an episode of the 1980's TV show "Jem And The Holograms".**

* * *

It was another day in Nobel Michel. The sun was out, and the sky was dotted with a few clouds to provide shade. Everyone was out and about in the town, all getting ready to do what they had to do, be it work, errands, and chores, whatever. The townspeople were happy and feeling good about being able to have the lifestyles they did.

In spite of it being a chilly winter morning in Nobel Michel, there was nary a snowflake on the ground. People were in fairly light winter gear, and with smiles on their faces.

The scene is set in a little cake shop called "Patisserie Brown", where the story begins in the kitchen.

An older man, with greying hair on his head, wearing a chef coat with a light green collar and tie, was packing a few things in boxes for a trip.

"Yosef," One of the pastry chefs said. "I wish you luck on your trip."

"Thanks," Yosef said. "If all goes well, I may be able to get a supplier who might be able to ship to us at a fair price."

"I envy you, Yosef," Another pastry chef said. "I wish I could go with you."

"I know," Yosef said. "But right now, you need to hold down the fort while I'm gone."

"I hope everything goes well, Yosef," A young woman, with long, brown hair, bright brown eyes, and fair skin said; she was wearing a chef uniform. "With some of our other suppliers beginning to shut down, we need to find new resources for our supplies."

"That's Carly for you," Another girl said. "Always putting others before herself. She could stand to be just a _little_ selfish."

Carly was Yosef's surrogate daughter. They had a familial bond, and Carly had worked for Yosef for many years. Carly looked up to Yosef like another father, not just a boss and mentor. Whenever she was feeling down, or he needed anything, they were there for one another.

"Knock it off," A male coworker said. "It's one of those qualities of hers that makes her so attractive to guys. And I'm not just talking for the sake of it."

Carly sweat dropped; she was always known to be cute and many people called her a beauty. This always went over Carly's head, though, thinking that they were merely exaggerating or teasing. She was never aware of how beautiful and attractive she really was to people.

Even Carly knew that the beauty inside counted much more than the outside; it was one of the reasons she was able to treat people fairly without much in the way of repercussions. It was also why so many boys tried to ask her out, but she either was not aware of what they were asking, or turned them down politely.

"Anyway, it's going to be a bit of a trip; a few days or about a week, give or take," Yosef said. "I might as well make the most of it."

"You mean like bringing back some new tools and gifts for us?" One of the female coworkers asked, eagerly.

"Hahaha! Well, I may be able to bring a few things back for all of you," Yosef said. "What would you like?"

No one spoke up; they all had a hard time deciding what they wanted from Yosef's trip. They knew that it was probably impolite of them to ask.

"…I'd like it if you could find some catalogs we could use to find new ingredients to run specials every now and again." Another pastry chef said.

"A new balloon whisk!" "A heart-shaped cake pan!" "Hey…!" "Some new ingredients we've never used before!" "Say what?"

"Hm… I'll see what I can get that we can all share so I don't have to write up a list," Yosef said, as everyone started to shout requests. "But… Carly? What about you?"

Carly was never one to want for anything. However, there was something that she _really_ wanted in her heart. So, she spoke her mind and feelings.

"If you happen to find some, do you think you could try to get Tahitian vanilla beans? I know how rare those are, but I've always wanted to use them in a dessert." Carly said, speaking honestly.

"Just Tahitian vanilla?" A female coworker inquired. "That's it? Why not get Yosef to get you a dress or something?"

"I can't work in the kitchen while wearing a dress," Carly said, with a smile and a shrug. "While my heart's desire goes to Tahitian vanilla, Yosef's safe and successful return is what I want the most."

Yosef laughed as he and Carly shared a hug.

No one was surprised that this had occurred; to them, this was merely normal, as they all knew the relationship that Carly and Yosef had with each other.

The next day was when Yosef was due to leave for his trip. Carly met Yosef outside of his house; she was standing in front of his car, and Carly was there to see him off.

"Carly, I hope you keep working hard while I'm gone," Yosef said. "I'll try to get Tahitian vanilla for you."

"That's only number two on my list of desires; I just want you to have a successful and safe trip," Carly said, hugging Yosef. "So go for it!"

Yosef laughed once more, happy that his surrogate daughter was there to support him no matter what would happen.

"Thanks, Carly," Yosef said. "I'll be on my way now."

Yosef got into the car and he closed the driver's seat. He buckled his seatbelt and he gave Carly a nod.

Yosef turned on the car and then he started to drive away.

"Bye for now, Yosef!" Carly called out.

"I'll see you in a about a week!" Yosef shouted back from the window.

"You can count on me to work my hardest while you're gone! I'll be waiting for your return!" Carly called out, as she waved goodbye to the departing car.

However, what she and Yosef failed to realize was that a wrench would be thrown into the works. But this was a wrench that no one could have expected at all.

* * *

Yosef's journey to go to his destination hit no issues on the way. Things were looking up.

He had made it about three or four cities over, and since his car was running out of gas, he knew he had to stop to fill it up.

"Hm…" Yosef said, as he pulled over on the side of the road. He got out of the car and he looked around at his surroundings.

He was in a suburban area where there were a few houses around and a couple of shops. Luckily for him, he found a gas station and he drove over to fill the gas tank up.

"Oh, hello, sir," A worker from the gas station said. "Welcome. I haven't seen you around here before; you new in town?"

"No, this is just one of my destinations on a trip that I'm taking. I own Patisserie Brown in Nobel Michel; sadly, a lot of our suppliers are shutting down, so I was going to go to another town known for shipping and supplying shops with goods to find new resources." Yosef explained.

"Ah, I see," The young man said. "We have this convenience store here; you can buy some items for your trip while I fill your car up with gas."

"Thank you so much!" Yosef said, as he went inside the shop.

Meanwhile, the young man started to fill the car up with gas to help Yosef.

"What a nice young man." Yosef said, as he browsed the shop. He did not find anything that his workers were looking for.

"Ah, excuse me," Yosef said, as he asked the clerk at the check out counter. "You wouldn't happen to carry Tahitian vanilla beans, would you?"

"Tahitian vanilla? What, are you nuts? This is a convenience store, silly," The young girl said with a smile. "And having such an exotic spice in this weather? That's ridiculous."

Yosef merely sweat dropped and smiled bitterly.

He soon went outside to see that not only was the young man gone, but the gas tank was full.

"Haha! How sweet," Yosef said; a gust of wind blew and he shivered. "Oh, boy…"

Looking up, snow clouds started to roll in. Yosef knew that he had driven into a colder climate area, but he did not realize he was ill prepared for snow.

"I'd better go!" Yosef said, as he dove into his car, started it, and went back to driving.

It was about two days into his journey, and all seemed to be going well, with the exception of a few necessary stops for the bathroom, gas, and food.

Meanwhile, back at the bakery, Carly was looking out the window in concern for Yosef.

"Carly, you shouldn't be so worried about Yosef," One of her coworkers said. "It's not like he's gonna die out there."

"That isn't funny," Carly said. "I heard that there's going to be a blizzard where he's going. In worse case scenario, he could be stuck there for quite a while."

"Even if it does come to that, we'll pull through somehow and still get what we need. Yosef wouldn't want us to worry over him." Carly's coworker said.

"You're right, but still… Forget the vanilla beans, I just want him back safely." Carly said, before sighing and going back to work.

Her coworker looked at her in concern; when it came to others, Carly was more concerned about other people rather than herself.

"It's not like Yosef is going to find himself on death row unless something can be done… She shouldn't be so concerned." Carly's coworker said.

* * *

Yosef, however, found himself in a very precarious scenario: he was not only lost, but the blizzard was getting more intense. The snow was so blinding that the scene failed to change no matter how far Yosef drove to get to where he needed to go.

"Oh, no," Yosef said, scared. "I should have known something like this would happen… At this rate, the car will be buried in snow. I'd better abandon it and go on foot."

Yosef knew what he was doing was dangerous, but Yosef failed to see any other option. He turned the car engine off and he opened the door; there was not enough snow on the ground to trap him inside the car, but there was still friction between the snow and the door. He took the keys with him just in case, as well as all of the essentials that he needed to survive.

Yosef started walking on foot, being mindful of where he stepped to avoid slipping; however, he had a soft, yet cold cushion in case he did fall.

After what seemed like hours, Yosef soon started to grow tired. He was about to collapse, but he pressed on. At his age, pushing oneself too hard was never smart; however, he knew he had no choice.

However, Yosef was reaching the limit of his stamina, and he soon fell out of exhaustion. But rather than falling on snow, he fell on… pavement.

"Pavement?" Yosef asked aloud, as he felt the pain of the hardened ground on impact.

He looked around, and saw that something was odd about his situation. For one thing, the snow was still roaring and blowing, but it was as if the road had been plowed. Secondly, it seemed as if he had found himself in a small forest.

"Something isn't right…" Yosef said, as he kept looking around. However, when he looked in front, his eyes went wide with shock.

In front of him was a gate made of polished brass that flanked marble walls. Looking through the gate, Yosef saw a large, beautiful, brightly colored yet gloomy castle that had snow all over its roofs, nooks, and crannies. Yosef rubbed his eyes, thinking that he was dreaming.

"Is this a dream…?" Yosef asked aloud. He stood up, and touched the gate, thinking it was a hallucination.

However, it was not a dream, but it was very real. As a matter of fact, as soon as Yosef touched the gate, it opened to him.

Yosef shook his head, thinking that once he opened his eyes, all would be gone and he would be stuck in the snow again.

How wrong he was: everything he was seeing was in fact, real, and he was a little scared to enter.

 _"Come in…"_ A voice said; Yosef shuddered, and in a panic, he ran through the gate.

For some reason, he had no idea what he was in for, but at the moment, that was the least of his concerns.

As soon as he entered the gate, it was almost as if he walked into another season. Beyond the gate, in the courtyard, were blooming flowers, sunny skies, green foliage of all kinds, and so much more. There were even animals that would normally not be in the area or hibernating awake, active, and running around. It was as if Yosef woke up and it was already springtime.

Rubbing his eyes once again, Yosef slowly walked around, looking at his surroundings and taking in the details with true curiosity.

"What _is_ this place…?" Yosef asked aloud. He looked around at all of the flowers.

Yosef soon came upon the door to the castle. He grew nervous, but he pushed himself to open the twin doors; he was surprised at the elegant and beautiful décor that decorated the inside.

His eyes went wide. However, his awe was completely dashed when he heard the growling of his stomach. He had been so confused and desperate for cover from the blizzard that food was completely forgotten and he had not eaten in hours.

"Man…" Yosef said, as he felt his stomach growl once more.

As if his nose began to trick his head, he started to smell delicious food. He started to follow his nose down a corridor and he soon came upon a dinning room, with a large, long table. It was as if it was something out of a castle of one of the royal families surrounding Nobel Michel.

"Oh, wow… It's like something out of one of the kingdoms around Nobel Michel…" Yosef said.

He soon saw a large spread of delicious food on the table, which included a huge turkey, omelet rice, tea sandwiches, fine wines, etc., and it seemed like more than Yosef could ever eat. Not only that, the food was fresh and warm.

"But… how is it that there's fresh food here, but no one's eating it?" Yosef asked.

He looked around, and as he stared at the food, his appetite got the better of him. He shrugged with a smile, and he sat down to eat the food.

Sadly, Yosef failed to realize that he was not alone in the castle. Then again, it was as if whoever was there wanted to go unnoticed… For the most part.

The silhouette of a tall being of some sort with a strange figure was standing there, not making a sound, minus his quiet breathing.

After what seemed like an hour or so, Yosef had cleared his dishes and washed them, before putting them away; it took him a little while to figure out where everything was, but he managed to put everything back where it belonged.

"*Yawn*…" Yosef yawned before going to the hallway. He had no idea where to go or what to do to get a nap; he was so exhausted from the trip that he needed to get some rest.

As if calling to him, a door creaked open.

"Ah?" Yosef said aloud; he cautiously entered the room to see it was a luxurious bedroom, like something out of a five-star hotel.

"Oh, wow!" Yosef said, as he looked around and saw a bathrobe, some toiletries to take care of his hygiene to freshen up, and an in-suite bathroom.

"This is like a dream." Yosef said, as he silently thanked his host for the hospitality.

He went into the bathroom to get a bath and go to bed.

However, Yosef would soon run his enigmatic host afoul.

The next day, Yosef woke up to a beautiful, sunny day. He stood up, and looked in the closet to see a large wardrobe of luxurious men's clothing, and he smiled in delight.

"Haha! Whoever has been so kind to me must be someone of high birth," Yosef said. "I wish I could meet this person, and thank them… Maybe I can bake something for them?"

Yosef, deciding to explore his surroundings a little more, went back into the same dining room as he did the previous night.

Just like before, there was a beautiful, luxurious feast of several breakfast items. Eggs Benedict, pancakes, omelets, sausage, stuffed French toast, etc., and Yosef was practically drooling at the sight of such a feast.

Once again, Yosef dug into his food, and really enjoying the taste of it. He was really happy and grateful for his host's kindness, and was hoping to somehow repay it.

After once again washing and putting his dishes away, Yosef took a walk around the garden.

Seeing all the flowers, Yosef was in awe of how springtime conditions could occur literally in the middle of a raging blizzard. He had already confirmed that what he was seeing was not a dream.

"This is just flat-out insane…" Yosef said, as he soon came upon what seemed to be a greenhouse.

Yosef wondered what would be in a greenhouse, especially in a place as surreal as the castle.

He went inside the greenhouse to see many exotic plants, and his eyes went wide from the sight of it all. It was just as insanely surreal as the environment outside the greenhouse.

Yosef's eyes soon lay upon something. It was the one thing that he was really hoping to find, and it was labeled clearly. He saw a blooming orchid, and beside it was a glass vial that was full of an item he was really coveting.

"Tahitian vanilla beans! Just what Carly wanted!" Yosef said, as he looked around.

His host was nowhere to be seen, and Yosef was sure that whoever's place he was at would not mind if he took just a few of the beans.

He knew how expensive vanilla bean was, and he wanted to make sure that he could at least get Carly's desired spice.

Yosef smiled and he took up the vial of vanilla, and then he exited the greenhouse.

As soon as he left the greenhouse, he turned around and shut the door; soon thereafter, he heard a roaring sound coming from behind him.

Shouting in fear, he turned around to see a monstrosity in front of him.

Standing in front of him was a humanoid griffin of some sort. However, instead of it being quadruped, it was a bipedal griffin. The feathery eagle head was replaced with an actual lion's face, but the feathers and beak remained; it had the teeth of a great white shark, the hind feet of a wolverine rather than a lion, and the arms and hands of a cougar. The creature also had the ears of a wolf. Not only that, but it was wearing a regal teal suit with a sash and badges. Its eyes were also a combination of blue and green.

 _"Who do you think you are?!"_ The monster roared. _"After all of that hospitality, even though you were kind enough to clean up after yourself, you steal those precious vanilla beans I so painstakingly grew?!"_

Yosef dropped the vial, being careful to make sure it did not break, before falling on his rear end, shaking for his life.

"P-P-Please, sir! I really do appreciate your kindness!" Yosef cowered, scared half to death.

 _"Then why did you steal the vanilla?!"_ The monster shouted, in askance.

"W-W-Well… Sire, please, it was just a gift for my surrogate daughter." Yosef said, albeit it sounded like making excuses.

However, once the word 'daughter' came to the monster's ears, he seemed to calm down.

"Surrogate daughter, you say?" The monster asked.

"Yes, sire. I know it sounds like an excuse, but when I found this place, I was lost in a blizzard. I know considering the weather we're in right now, it sounds outlandish, but before I left to go to another part of the nation to get new suppliers for my bakery, my workers all asked for something. But the one thing that my surrogate daughter, Carly, asked for was Tahitian vanilla beans, but above all of that, for me to get home safely," Yosef said. "Tahitian vanilla beans are rare and expensive. I saw these were just lying there…"

 _"Punishment will still be dealt!"_ The monster shouted.

"Please! Carly would be devastated if I just died without a word!" Yosef shouted, as he kept cowering.

"Death wasn't on the table," The monster said, calmly. "But the rest of your days here _is_ on the table of what you'll get for retribution."

"But I own a bakery! And if I'm not there, who will run operations?!" Yosef asked.

 _"You should have thought of that before stealing my vanilla!"_ The monster shouted.

He snapped his fingers and a luxurious coach appeared. There was gold trim, silk and velvet accents, etc., and everything screamed 'royalty' or 'luxury' to Yosef.

"Wasn't I supposed to stay here for my life?" Yosef asked, fearfully.

"Don't be ridiculous; I can't just make it seem like you just vanished without a word," The monster said, albeit a bit annoyed. "You can take the vanilla beans to Carly. This coach will take you home; in exchange, you are to inform your subordinates of what has happened, and then be back here within the week to spend your days here with me."

"Isn't there another choice?" Yosef asked, about to shed tears. "There _has_ to be another option I can take!"

The monster thought it over; there was something going on in his mind. He let out a breath before turning to Yosef.

"Either you come back here within the week to live out your days… Or send Carly in your place." The monster replied.

"What?! Impossible…" Yosef began, but…

 ** _ROAR~!_**

After one more roar from the beast, Yosef yielded to his captor's wishes. He felt like he had been driven into a corner and there was no way out.

* * *

 **That's a wrap for chapter one! I hope you guys like it. The aforementioned song will be in chapter two, if you don't mind.**


	2. Chapter 2

**The beast demands either Yosef or Carly become prisoner! This won't end well... Will it? The song "You'll Never Win My Love" from Jem and the Holograms will be featured here.**

* * *

Meanwhile, Carly was still looking out the window in the bakery. She was worried about Yosef; she knew the blizzard in the area he was supposedly in had struck, and Carly was praying and hoping for his safety.

"Come on, Carly," One of her coworkers said. "It's only been about three days; he said he'd be back within the week. You shouldn't be so worried."

"I know, and I don't know why, but I am," Carly said. "I have this instinct that something's gone wrong in a way we're not going to expect."

"Now you're just being overly paranoid." Her coworker said.

"But with that blizzard, how do we know something didn't happen?" Carly said, as she turned back to her coworker, her back to the wall.

"I get what you're saying, but… Wh-Wh-Whoa! Carly, look out the window!" Her coworker said.

Carly, curious as well as annoyed, turned around to look out the bakery window, only to see the luxurious coach from the beast's castle.

"We gotta get up to speed; who knows who could be in that coach!" Carly's coworker said before dashing in.

Carly looked at the coach, and she saw the door open. Out came Yosef, and Carly ran back in, shouting, "Guys! Yosef's back! And he's come in this regal, expensive-looking carriage of some sort."

"That was quick." "Back so soon?" "Sheesh…"

Everyone met up with Yosef outside, all asking him how things went. Yosef held up a hand and everyone stopped talking. Seeing the look on his face, Carly knew that something was wrong.

Yosef brought everyone inside and he explained what had happened, including the beast and the deal he made with him.

Needless to say, everyone was shocked and scared. Some did not even believe what they were hearing.

"Seriously?! Are you sure that it wasn't a dream?!" "Come on, guys! If it _were_ a dream, he'd have come back in the car, not in that carriage that's something out of a fairytale!" "He's right…" "That aside, I guess that means your trip was a bust…" "But what are we going to do without Yosef?"

Carly, having heard the whole story, including the fact it was the vanilla beans that was the center of the argument, clenched her fist in frustration.

 _"ENOUGH!"_ Carly shouted, as she caused everyone else to look in her direction. "Listen, the bottom line is that this all ties back to me. After all, Yosef only got those vanilla beans because I asked him to. Besides, it's not like the store will crush without me…"

"Carly, you're not…" Yosef began, but Carly held his hand.

"I am." Carly said.

Everyone gasped in surprise.

"You're not serious, are you?!" "Are you saying what I think you're saying?!" "This isn't gonna end well…"

"That's right; I'm going in Yosef's stead. Besides, it's not like I'm gonna be cooped up like Rapunzel." Carly said, putting on a brave face.

"You're not going to sacrifice your dreams, are you?!" "You've gone crazy!" "We'll figure something out…"

"No," Carly said. "I'm going. I'll pack my essentials and a few of my guilty pleasures. I'll bring my phone, too, so I can stay in touch with you guys. Better than letting Yosef suffer when I was the one who wanted the vanilla."

No one argued her point. Carly resigned herself to living with the beast for the rest of her life. While her heart felt a sense of dread, she refused to take back what she had said.

The next morning, Carly had brought her suitcase with everything she loved, from her recipe books to her phone and her computer to stay in contact with everyone else. While she was afraid of what was going to happen, she knew that it would be better than living with the guilt of letting Yosef take the punishment for her entire life.

Yosef, everyone from her work, and her best friend May all came to see her off. Carly was standing in front of the carriage that brought Yosef home, and she said her goodbyes.

"Hold down the fort, okay?" Carly said, tears in her eyes.

"You're one of my best pastry chefs, Carly," Yosef said, crying. "You'll be missed."

"I promise to be strong and brave," Carly said, hugging Yosef. "I'll keep in touch."

"At least you won't be bored with your books." "Good luck." "We'll try and figure something else out to get you out of there." "You'll be in our thoughts."

After hearing the sad farewells of all of her friends, Carly went into the coach, before giving her company one more tearful look. The door closed, and then the magic coach started to go to the beast's castle.

Though they all wanted her to someday come back safely, no one expected to hear from her outside of phone call or text ever again.

After a few days, Carly was growing bored with looking out the window of the coach all day long. She felt really down and blue, and she was scared of what the beast was going to do to her. However, Carly knew she had to stand up for herself if she was going to confront a beast.

"If I make him upset… I don't even want to think it." Carly said, with a shudder.

The coach soon stopped in front of the brass gate. The outside of the gate was still heavily covered in snow. Carly was unsure of what to do, but she stepped out of the coach, and she opened the gate.

Entering the courtyard, Carly was spellbound by how beautiful the springtime weather was in comparison to the winter disaster outside of the gate.

"Wow… Yosef wasn't kidding," Carly said, as she started to approach the castle door. "This is really out of a fairytale."

Approaching the gate, Carly took a deep breath.

She said, "Hello? I'm here; your prisoner, sire. I came here on my own free will! Please, in the stead of Yosef, I will be your captive."

 _"You must be Carly,"_ The beast's voice said, as Carly looked around, in fear. _"Come in."_

This statement took Carly aback; taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her nerves.

"Thank you." Carly said, as she was expecting the doors to open up and for something spooky to happen.

The twin doors opened, and Carly's eyes went wide with shock to see the beast standing there, in front of the dining room table, with an entire meal ready for her, including a table setting.

The beast was also surprised to see her; Carly was more beautiful than he expected, but it was the inner beauty that was shinning brightly from inside of her that was catching his attention.

"Come, sit, eat." The beast said, a little forcefully.

He started to approach her with a hostile aura around him; this scared Carly, and she felt like she was in danger.

Almost as if the weather sensed the situation, the entire environment outside the castle turned into a thunderstorm.

Carly was scared half to death and the beast kept coming after her. Carly kept backing away, a little scared.

"I… I, um, I'm not hungry." Carly said, getting the sense that something bad was going to happen.

"That wasn't a request!" The beast shouted, as he made a grab for her.

Carly ducked away, before saying, "You expect me to comply with that behavior?"

Snagging her by the arm, the beast snarled, "You belong to me!"

"Let go of me! That hurts!" Carly shouted in fear; she slapped the beast's hand away before backing up a bit.

"I am fear-inducing in appearance, aren't I? That is outside of my control. Regardless, I will win your love." The beast declared.

"With that behavior, that will be easier said than done…" Carly said, as she felt a little braver, and she felt a song coming on.

 _"You'll never win my love, coming on so strong!"_ Carly sang, as she backed up, only to hit the wall and look at the beast.

He roared as he made a grab at her.

She swiftly dodged before hiding behind one of the furniture pieces.

 _"You'll never win my love; you're going at it all wrong!"_ Carly song, as she soon ran after the beast once again tried to get her.

She started backing away and she continued to sing, _"You'll never win my love, acting cruel and mean! You'll never win my love, unless you change your routine!"_

Carly stood her ground as the beast approached.

She put her hand out, before singing, _"If you abuse me, you'll only lose me! You'll never make me care!"_

Carly leaped out of the way, tucked and rolled as the beast once again roared and tried to grab her.

 _"Give me a rough time, you'll have a tough time! You'll never get anywhere!"_ Carly sang, as she once again stood up.

The beast made it closer to her and he roared once again before snagging her arm.

 _"What are you thinking of when you act unkind? You'll never win my love without a new frame of mind! If you abuse me, you'll only lose me! You'll never win my love!"_ Carly sang, as she soon gave the beast a good look in the eye.

He kept on roaring and rampaging. Carly, sensing to get out of the situation, ran down the hallway, in fear of her own life.

"Suffering your tyranny is a fate worse than death!" Carly shouted, as she ran.

The beast kept roaring and screaming in pain and agony; it was as if Carly's rejection of him angered him further.

Carly ran up the stairs into the hallways, and she skid to a halt when she saw that it was safe.

"Oh, man, that scared me. I need to be able to figure out how to keep him from acting up like that. Giving in to his behavior like that is just too much; it's out of the question," Carly said, before taking a deep breath. She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw a door with her name on it. "Wow… He had a room prepared for me?"

Opening the door, Carly saw a luxurious bedroom, fit for a princess. Carly was confused at the implication. She knew the beast had intentions for her, but she did not know what they were. They only knew each other for less than ten minutes.

"Sheesh… If he was going to keep me prisoner, he certainly is giving me a better room to stay in than a dungeon or tower." Carly said, as she entered the room.

She looked around and saw there was almost anything a girl could ever want. There was even an in-suite bathroom, just like the room Yosef had.

Opening the closet, Carly saw there were luxurious dresses and other women's clothing in there, including shoes, hats, and other accessories.

Looking to the side table, Carly saw that there was a bouquet of flower buds in a vase. She approached them, and they bloomed to reveal they were red roses.

"I don't get it," Carly said, as she sat on her bed; her luggage had somehow magically teleported to the room. "How can such beautiful and wonderful things be in a castle of someone like that beast? Unless…"

Carly looked out the window; she felt awful about leaving her life behind just to appease the beast that threatened Yosef. While she had yet to acclimate, it seemed to her that there were a lot of questions that had fewer answers to them.

Carly, feeling that her life was ruined, fell on the bed, and started sobbing and crying loudly. Without a companion in the world to be there for comfort, Carly bawled and cried her heart out.

Over time, as she let her emotions out, she somehow wound up falling asleep on her bed.

The beast, meanwhile, overheard her tears from nearby, and he sighed loudly before continuing to walk the halls.

Having cried herself to sleep, Carly failed to realize how tired out she was when she woke up the next morning.

"Man… What happened to me?" Carly asked aloud; she looked around, and she soon realized where she was.

She slapped herself in the face, as she remembered the mess she put herself in and the events of the previous day.

However, Carly was surprised when she saw something she was not expecting: hanging on a coat hanger in front of her was a beautiful dress.

It was a pink, floor-length, one-sleeve, bracelet sleeve halter dress with a bell skirt that had pink embroidery on it.

"It's beautiful!" Carly said, her eyes widening with joy at the dress.

She got out of bed, and ran to get a better look, and she looked at the note that was attached.

 _'Carly,_

 _Forgive my foolish, overly brash behavior._

 _You alone are the queen and the head of the castle._

 _You may go wherever you wish in the castle. It would be unfair to keep you cooped up._

 _To show I repent, I give you this dress. I will hope that you come to dine with me tonight.'_

Carly knew he had somehow come into her room.

"Of course he was able to come in; it's _his_ castle," Carly said. "But for him to leave me this dress and give me a note asking me to join him… I guess there's more to him than meets the eye."

She smiled a little bit; she sensed that the beast was being meaningful and was regretful of his behavior.

Putting on the dress, Carly went downstairs into the dining room to eat breakfast. However, the beast was not there. She was surprised that the beast was absent.

"Where could he be?" Carly asked aloud; she sat down to eat, and she partook in the food that she had in front of her.

She was really happy with the food, and she loved it to her heart's content. She was so happy that she kept eating until she was stuffed like a turkey.

"That was delicious," Carly said, as she put the dishes that she washed away. She smiled. "I guess if the beast is making distance after yesterday's episode, I guess he must really be beating himself up over what happened…"

Carly decided that rather than dwelling on the beast, to go and look around at her new home to see what it was like. Outside of the monster who was supposed to be her captor, the entire palace seemed to be something out of a fairytale no matter which way she went.

However, Carly soon stumbled upon something; she saw a portrait, and it looked a tad dusty. She rubbed it to get the dust off, and it was revealed to be a portrait of a young man.

He was a young man with platinum blonde hair, green-blue eyes, wearing a teal uniform with badges, and he looked stern, and professional with his arms crossed.

"Wow… Who is that? He's kinda cute…" Carly said aloud, but then she shook her head. "This is no time to be going gaga over some guy who's probably not even here."

Carly turned around and she walked into another room; she had seen almost every kind of room for almost anything, so she was not expecting much for the next one.

However, when she walked in, she merely saw musical instruments that were somehow or another playing on their own. Curious, she walked farther in. She saw violins, flutes, clarinets, etc., and they all were either floating in the air or playing themselves. She was confused.

"Wow…" Carly began, only to turn around when she heard piano playing.

She flinched when she saw the beast; oddly enough, it was the beast himself that was playing the piano, and the other instruments were playing in time.

Carly smiled as she saw the calm, almost happy and pleased expression on the beast's face. She started humming a little bit to the music, and she actually began to dance a little with the music.

However, the beast noticed her and he stopped playing the music out of nowhere. The other instruments stopped, too. Carly flinched when she realized she was noticed.

"I beg your pardon…" Carly said. "Forgive my intrusion."

Rather than roaring at her, he gave her a sad, regretful look.

"No. I apologize for my raging yesterday," The beast said. "I was out of line."

She was surprised that this was how he acted in front of her. However, Carly sensed his sincerity. She looked at him with sympathy, and she said, "So long as you learned your lesson…"

The silence that came afterwords was a little odd, and Carly decided to break the ice.

"You certainly have a way with the piano." Carly said.

"I see you like the music in here," The beast said, as he smiled and looked around at all of the instruments. "You certainly were acting like you were enjoying yourself."

"How couldn't I?" Carly said, as she approached the beast. "It wasn't as if the one playing it was doing poorly. You were doing an excellent, beautiful job."

This comment merely got a scoff from the beast. He stood up, and said, "How can someone as grotesque as me…"

"Play the piano so well?" Carly said, interrupting, with a giggle. "I doubt the way you look is a factor."

The beast smiled a little bit, and then he approached Carly.

"Shall we dance?" He asked, holding out his hand.

Carly was still a little nervous about the situation, but she sensed that he became more gentle, and she gladly put her hand in his.

The instruments took their cue and started to play a waltz. Carly and the beast started to dance a little, and Carly's fear and concern towards her situation melted in an instant.

She grew closer to the beast, and she felt a lot more comfortable and happy around him.

Days passed, and Carly soon grew to see more sides of the beast that she had never seen before. In spite of his behavior when they first met, she saw there were things about him she never knew.

For example, the animals in the gardens never feared him; as a matter of fact, birds were more than happy to perch on his arms and head.

"Hahaha! Looks like birds love you." Carly said, as she was also out in the gardens, picking roses.

The beast also laughed heartily and they were once again enjoying themselves.

* * *

 **Seems things are going a little better now. Question is, what's going to happen in the future with this situation.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Carly and the Beast are bonding very well, but then a wrench gets thrown in the engine when May calls Carly with an emergency. What will happen?!**

* * *

That evening, they were once again in the dinning room, and the table was once again filled to the rim with luxurious foods.

"Wow, this is like something out of a royal banquet." Carly said, as she laid eyes on the spread that was on the table.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" The beast asked.

"Heck no!" Carly said, as she leaped onto the beast and gave him a hug. "You've given me more than I could have ever imagined."

"Then… is it possible for you to give me something?" The beast asked.

"Sure!" Carly said, as she smiled.

However, what came out of the beast's mouth – or rather, beak – was completely out of left field.

He got down on one knee, and he timidly asked, "Could you find it in your heart… To marry me?"

"Wha-Huh?!" Carly shouted, surprised at this request. "M-Marry?! Isn't that jumping the gun a bit here?"

The beast did not answer. He looked her in the eye, and said, "It's your call; there's no wrong answer."

Carly was in shock; he seemed so genuine. But, for some reason, she was still rattled by the proposal.

"I… I can't. As much as it pains me to say this, but that's how it is. Over time, maybe, I can…" Carly said, tears in her eyes.

The beast seemed to understand how much it hurt Carly to reject him. Granted, it hurt him to get rejected, as well.

It went over amiably, but the atmosphere became awkward between them; after they finished eating, the beast merely left the room.

"Such a kind guy… What was I thinking?" Carly asked aloud.

Days kept passing, and Carly learned many new things about the beast and his castle.

However, every night, the beast asked her to marry him. Each time, Carly was taken aback and refused to answer.

Carly was getting to know the beast very well and she was very happy to be with him at the same time.

Things were looking up.

"Your castle is just as amazing as you." Carly said, as she watched the beast work in the castle and helped him out.

The beast gave her many gifts and she was a very happy girl. She also had a change of heart; she was more comfortable and happy around her new, monstrous friend, and she danced with him many times.

"It's ironic, isn't it? Such a beautiful castle filled with things as amazing as wonderful as something out of a fantasy. Yet the master of the castle…" The beast began.

"Don't talk like that." Carly said, as she took his hand into hers. Or rather, she put her hand in his.

They spent their days singing, dancing, and playing music in the orchestra room; they would often walk in the gardens together and play with the animals; the beast gave her the opportunity to bake in the kitchen all she wanted when she told him of her job as a pastry chef, and they had the desserts she made at their meals rather than desserts that came out of nowhere.

"Oh, dear beast," Carly said, as she was eating another delicious dinner with him. "You truly have made me very happy…"

"I'm happy to hear that," The beast said, as he and Carly held hands under the table. "You really have made this place much cheerier since you've come."

Carly still kept her memories of Yosef and all of her memories close to her and completely forgot the fears she once had of the beast.

* * *

However, the nights were a different story in her bed. Every night when she went to sleep, she had a nightmare, and it was the same every night.

The nightmare was of Yosef; he was in trouble, the bakery was in shambles, and he grew sick. There were many more tragedies occurring in the dreams, but Carly knew they were just that, dreams.

About a month into her stay, Carly was in her room, working on her computer, when she got a call on her phone.

"May?" Carly said, as she picked up the phone and answered. "What's going on?"

"Oh, phew, Carly! What a relief," May said, as she breathed a sigh of relief. "I was afraid you were already killed by that monster!"

"No; he's actually quite a sweetheart once you get to know him, but he _does_ have his beastly moments," Carly said, before giggling. "But that aside… What's going on?"

"You gotta get away from that monster!" May said. "It's an emergency at the bakery."

"Okay, one, don't call him a monster, and two, what's the emergency?" Carly inquired.

"It's Yosef," May said. "One of your coworkers told me that he's fallen ill due to the grief of you leaving."

"What?!" Carly said.

"As a result, the bakery is starting to collapse from lack of leadership and the vibe has died down," May said. "They need you."

"That's weird," Carly said. "I _have_ been having weird nightmares that detailed something like this happening…"

"Then if that's the case, come back!" May said, over the phone.

"But I can't just leave," Carly said. "As much as I miss everyone…"

"What's more important to you?" May asked, over the phone. "Being a prisoner to that monster or living the life you want?"

"Don't talk ill of him, May!" Carly said, as she started to get angry. "You don't even _know_ him! He's shown me so much kindness and I'm really happy here."

"You're kidding, right?" May said. "How can someone like that, someone who forced you there because of a mistake Yosef made, be treating you like royalty?"

"Even I don't know, but what I do know is that I… I… really like him a lot." Carly said.

"You've gone nuts!" May said. "Anyway, you need to escape and get back to Nobel Michel ASAP before the bakery ends up closing!"

"…I'll see what I can do." Carly said, as she felt horrible about what had happened due to her absence.

Hanging up, Carly rolling her eyes. She was really unhappy with the way May talked about the beast.

But Carly knew she had to do something; she was not fond of the idea of standing by idly while Patisserie Brown suffered due to her absence.

She dashed out of the room and started to run about the castle, trying to find the beast. She knew in the back of her mind and in the bottom of her heart that asking him for this was probably a little too much, but Carly felt like she had to do something.

"Beast! Oh, beast! Where are you?!" Carly asked, frantically.

Hearing piano music coming from their usual dance room, Carly dashed in in a panic. She saw the beast, happily playing on his piano.

Seeing the distress on her face, the beast stopped playing the piano and looked in Carly's direction.

"Is something wrong?" The beast asked.

"…I need a favor," Carly said, before going into the story. "The shop is in trouble. So… If only temporarily… May I go back?"

"But… You can't just leave me!" The beast said, in despair. "I may die of a broken heart!"

"Okay, yes, believe it or not, death via heartbreak IS, in fact, possible, but it's only for a little while," Carly said. "I _promise_ to come back. That, I will _never_ back out on!"

Hearing her pleas and seeing how much she cared for everyone at the bakery, the beast sighed and gave in.

"Alright, then," The beast said. "The coach will bring you back to the bakery… But just promise me this: be back within three weeks."

Carly knew that this could very well be the last time she could ever see Yosef again. But she knew that the deal had to be taken.

"Yes," Carly said, before nodding. "I _will_ be back! I promise you this! I'll never leave you behind ever again once this is over."

The beast saw her tears, and despair settled in his heart…

The next morning, Carly packed all of her essentials, her computer and phone included, and then she bid the beast a tearful farewell. She stepped into the carriage, gave the beast one last said look, and then she closed the door.

The carriage started to drive all the way back to Nobel Michel. Carly looked out the window to look back to the beast.

As the beast watched from one of the castle tower balconies, he started to shed tears. He raised his head up to roar out in agony and heartache.

Hearing this sad sound only made Carly shed tears. However, she looked ahead to try and be optimistic; she wanted to make sure Yosef and the others were okay.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Patisserie Brown, everyone was working hard, albeit the mood of the place was really sad and depressing. No one was smiling, no matter who came in with the desire to buy desserts.

The pastry chefs were not working as well as they could, and they were all depressed over one thing: Carly's absence.

"That damned beast!" One of the girls said, slamming her baking pan on the counter. "If not for that monster taking Carly away, we wouldn't be in such dire straights!"

"You shouldn't talk like that; as much as I agree with you, Carly went on her own free will. And I highly doubt she's coming back." A boy said, as he took out some croissants from the oven.

"You heard what Yosef said: it's either him or Carly that stays with the best for the rest of their life." Another girl said.

"But if that beast…" The first girl said.

"We get it." The others said, knowing what she meant.

One of the girls was out at the desk, trying not to get sad over Carly's departure, and she was dealing with the clients. Since Carly left, the clientele had been dwindling because Carly was one of the favorites amongst the customers. That, and Carly's cheeriness was infectious and it spread from the staff to the customers.

After a few customers left, there was a commotion outside.

Looking out the window, the girl at the counter saw something she could not believe, and her eyes bugged out.

"That coach…" She said.

She dashed out of the bakery and saw the same coach that took Carly the day she left.

The door opened and Carly came out, giving her coworker a smile.

"I'm back." She said.

"Carly! Oh gosh, Carly! You're back! You're safe!" Her coworker said, as they hugged. "How did you get away from that beast?!"

"Um, can we talk about that later?" Carly asked. "We're making a scene."

"Okay! You gotta come in the back way! Everyone's been so depressed since you left! Yosef, too! He's fallen sick since you left!" Carly's coworker said.

Carly went into the bakery through the back door and she decided to surprise her coworkers.

"Guys! I'm back." Carly said.

Everyone turned in her direction, and once they saw it was Carly, they all started to shout and rejoice in joy of her return.

"Carly, you're back! How did you escape?" "I thought you would have been killed!" "You must have been so scared!" "We thought we'd never see you again!"

"Okay, okay, calm down! Since my apartment has been given to someone else, I asked May if I could stay with her for a while." Carly said, as she tried not to talk about her parting with the beast.

"Forget that for now," One of Carly's male coworkers said. "You gotta tell us how you got away!"

"How I got away…? I think it's more accurate to say I'm here because he let me come back." Carly said, with a smile.

"He _let_ you leave? On his own free will?" "Impossible. No one who could have threatened Yosef could be capable of that." "Are you serious, Carly? That wicked monster?"

Hearing all of the bad-talk that her friends were giving the beast, Carly said, "Hey! You don't know him the way _I_ do! It's not _that_ ridiculous to reserve judgment until you know what's the truth, is it?"

The others were surprised at this statement, but decided to let it go.

"That aside, Carly, now that you're here, gown up and let's get baking!" The girl from the desk said.

Everyone let out a loud cheer before getting to his or her stations. Carly still retained her skills from her training, and she put them to good use. However, whenever there was downtime, her mind would always wander back to the beast.

During the two weeks that passed, Carly kept working hard and soon, the bakery was being brought back to its full glory. The foot traffic increased by tenfold, the atmosphere became lively again, and it was all thanks to Carly.

"Carly, go and visit Yosef when you're done." "He's been moaning your name ever since he got sick." "He's missed you the most out of all of us. I think it'd be a pleasant surprise."

"Okay!" Carly said.

While her mind still turned to the beast, and she started to feel how happy she was to be back home, she started to feel something in her heart about her monstrous friend.

Her mind would wander to the beast, and she would remember how happy she was to be at his side. She felt a sense of happiness that she never knew before when she was with the beast, almost as if she made her a better person.

In her dreams, she and the beast were very happy together and it was almost as if she was yearning to see him again. Why she felt this way, she had no idea.

Later, she visited the hospital where Yosef was staying; she did not tell anyone that she was going to pay Yosef a visit, as she wanted to surprise him.

The nurse led Carly to Yosef's room in the hospital, and she knocked on the door.

"Mr. Brown? You have a visitor." The nurse said, as she opened the door.

Yosef was lying in bed; he was looking well, minus the sad look on his face. He was really depressed.

"Yosef…" Carly said.

Yosef turned to look at his guest; as soon as he saw it was Carly.

"Carly… Carly, it's you!" Yosef said, as he sat up in bed, elated to see her.

"I'm back." Carly said, as she came over to the bed.

"Carly…" Yosef said, as he hugged Carly from his position. "I thought I'd never see you again! I've been working myself too hard to try and get funds to go back and rescue you from the beast! But you escaped on your own!"

He was crying tears of joy.

"He actually let me go," Carly said, as she also cried tears of joy, too. "I missed you so much, Yosef."

The two of them shared a heartfelt moment of tears of joy that included hugs and sobs from both parties. It was great.

However, Carly's mind once again turned to the beast. Why she felt so lonely without him at her side, she had no idea, but she decided not to dwell on it.

A few nights passed, and with each night, Carly dreamed of the beast. The first dream was of the two of them in the gardens, enjoying themselves. The second was of one of the many dances they shared. The third was about her modeling all of the dresses she had in front of him, and how much he enjoyed it.

Whenever Carly woke up from the dream, she felt sad. She still had no idea why she felt this way, but she knew that she had to go back soon.

"Carly, it's so great to have you back! Now you'll never have to worry about that beast again!" May said.

After Carly's return, Yosef's health improved very rapidly, to the point he was discharged from the hospital within a few days. As a way to celebrate, Yosef, May, and Carly all went out to have drinks one night.

"Um… Actually… The truth is… I'm due back within the week." Carly said.

"What?!" May said. "Seriously?! After you had to beg for your life to come back, he expects you to return?"

"Okay, yes, I begged, but not for my life," Carly said, raising an eyebrow. "Besides, I care about him."

"How can you care about him? You're talking nonsense." Yosef said.

"Yosef's right, Carly," May said. "You belong here in Nobel Michel with us; this is where you've always belonged."

"…" Carly failed to reply to this.

While her dream was to become a pastry chef of top caliber, for some reason her convictions and dreams changed when she met the beast and got to know him.

"If you go back to that creature, you're only going to be miserable." Yosef said.

"Like I said earlier: you don't know him the way I do," Carly said, as she stood up. "I'm going to head back to the apartment, May."

"He's just a hideous creature," May said. "You don't know what you're doing; come back!"

Carly refused to listen. She decided to go back to the apartment, and get some sleep.

However, this time, her dreams would sour and become a nightmare. She dreamed that the paradise that was the castle fell into ruin. Carly also dreamed that the beast was lying down on the ground, very sick, and everything in the castle was falling apart.

 _"All because you left me…"_ A voice in the dream screamed.

The dream continued and this time there were hints of the beast dying of starvation or something, the flowers wilting, and everything getting darker and darker. It also did not help that the blizzard that was outside the castle made its way in somehow, too.

Carly was in pain while she was sleeping during this nightmare. Her breathing was shallow and she felt like she was going to get a really bad headache if the nightmare did not stop.

Carly woke up in shock the next morning.

"No… He needs me!" Carly said, as she started to cry. "How could I be so cruel?! To do this to my poor beast! I can't bear this…"

She knew what she had to do.

"Carly, what happened?" May asked, as she came into the room.

Carly was packing all of her bags and stuff; the coach that brought her back to Nobel Michel was out in the parking lot for the apartment complex.

"I have to go back! And I have to go back _now_!" Carly shouted, frantic.

"What are you thinking, Carly?!" May said. "Are you sure about this?"

"I had a nightmare; he was on his deathbed!" Carly nearly shouted, tears in her eyes.

Hearing this, May grew concerned. She felt like Carly was not joking around, nor was she insane.

"He could be dying, and it's all my fault!" Carly said. "I have to go! I need to do this!"

Carly snagged her luggage and ran out to the carriage.

She was so scared for the beast that she failed to hear the shouts of good luck from May.

Over time, May began to understand what Carly was saying, and pieced together what was going on, regardless of Carly not saying it out loud herself.

Carly pretty much threw herself into the carriage, and she said to what seemed to be no one at all, "Please, get me to the castle! Step on it!"

The carriage started to run at top speed and Carly was hoping and praying both silently and aloud that she would make it in record time to get to the castle.

As the carriage ran off into the distance, May looked on sadly, before saying, "Good luck… I hope you don't regret this."

* * *

The carriage was going at the fastest it could, and Carly was looking out to the scenery, nearly frantic.

"Please be okay…" Carly prayed. "Please be alive and well…"

Carly sat in the carriage, and time seemed to pass very slowly; each second felt like an hour, and every minute felt like a day. Carly clasped her hands together, hoping and hoping for everything to be okay.

As the carriage pulled up to the castle, in the same amount of time it took Yosef to get there the first time, the weather outside was a blizzard. Putting on her cloak, Carly opened the door to the carriage, stepped out, and she made a dash for the gate. As she opened the gate and ran in, she saw the same scene out in the courtyard as she did outside the gate.

"No… No!" Carly shouted. "How could this have happened?! All because I left…"

Seeing that all of the beauty of the gardens had vanished in white whirlwind of snow, Carly knew that she had to find the beast and make amends – _fast_.

She started to frantically look around to find him.

She ran into the castle, hoping to find him in one of the many rooms that they spent their time together in.

"Here?" Carly asked aloud, as she checked the dining room; no beast.

She ran into the orchestra room, but once again, she came up empty-handed. She kept running and running around the castle, and checked every room in the castle to try and find her beast.

"Beast!" Carly cried, as she screamed for him.

The kitchen was empty, and so was the walk-in closet room. She felt so scared and confused about the beast that she only kept her mind focused on the beast and him alone.

"I checked everywhere in the castle…" Carly said, as she started to cry. Then, something about what she said gave her an idea. "Wait… everywhere _in_ the castle… The courtyard!"

Carly made a dash for the gardens. She was so scared for the beast that she was afraid that the dream she had the day she left would come true if she did not make any haste.

Carly soon ran around a hedge, and sure enough, there was the beast. Sadly, he was not in the best of situations.

Carly gasped in shock and fear as she saw the sight before her: the beast was on his back, his head sideways, and he seemed to be very sick; his breathing was heavy and labored. Carly was in complete shock that she made a dash over for his body.

"Beast! No! Don't leave me!" Carly shouted, shaking his body, and about to cry.

Groaning, he opened his eyes, and he saw Carly.

"Carly…" He groaned, as he managed to sit up a little bit to look Carly in the eye.

"Beast! Oh, what a relief… I thought I'd lost you…" Carly said, as she kept weeping. "I was so worried."

"You came back to a wretched beast like me…" The beast said, albeit weakly.

"Of course I did…" Carly said, tears about to fall from her face once again. "Why wouldn't I come back?"

"I was afraid you would have used the time I gave you to escape from me forever." The beast said.

"That fear certainly didn't come true!" Carly said, as she gently stroked his head. "I can't imagine life without you anymore. No matter how much I tried to focus, whenever there was down time, you were on my mind. In my dreams, too! I couldn't keep my mind off of you at all."

"The same for me," The beast replied. "I couldn't think of anything or anyone except for you. Don't leave me ever again."

"I promised you that I would come back and never leave again… And I'm keeping that promise. I love you!" Carly said, admitting how she felt.

"Then, Carly… will you marry me?" The beast asked.

"Yes!" Carly declared, as she cried tears of joy, and then she and the beast shared a kiss.

Her eyes were closed, and she did not see that in a flash of light and sparkles, the beast underwent a transformation.

When Carly opened her eyes, the person whom she saw in front of her was not the beast she once knew. In fact, it was the same platinum-blonde young man from the portrait.

She was still in his embrace and he was still kissing her.

"Hey!" Carly shouted, as she backed off.

"Carly…" The young man said, as he saw her reaction. "What's with that reaction? Is something the matter?"

"Of course something's the matter! Where's my beast?" Carly asked.

"Huh?" The young man asked; he looked at his hands, and saw they were human hands. "You broke the spell, my darling!"

"Pardon? What are you talking about?" Carly inquired, quite surprised.

"My name is Ivan. Prince Ivan Chernenkov," The young man, introduced as Ivan said. "Some years ago, I was turned into a beast by a witch as punishment for my spoiled, selfish behavior. The only way the spell could be broken was if a beautiful girl could fall in love with me for who I was deep down, not how I looked."

Ivan then hugged Carly close to him, and he told her, "You were the one who broke the spell; it was your true, devoted love that saved me."

"So… You're my beast?" Carly asked.

"Yes. You still love me, right?" Ivan asked, as he looked Carly in the eye.

Carly, crying tears of joy, smiled and gave him a nod. Ivan lifted her chin with his gloved hand, and then he once again gave her a kiss. She returned it with full love and devotion to him.

The kiss contained a great magic within it: the magic of true love. Magic cascaded in ripples and waves around them in a large circle, and the magic immediately melted the snow and the garden was brought back to its full glory. The castle actually became populated with more than just the two of them; servants and many helpers appeared out of nowhere through the magic. Overall, it was a joyous time, and everyone was rejoicing at the spell being broken.

"I love you…" Ivan said, as he kept kissing Carly.

Within the next few weeks, Carly and Ivan rekindled their love for each other. They were so happy together, and soon, through video chats with her friends, Ivan was introduced as 'the beast' to everyone.

Yosef and company soon learned what had happened and they all understood where Ivan was coming from.

"I had no idea." "We're sorry, Your Highness." "Why didn't you tell Carly about this beforehand?"

"I was literally unable to tell you; it was part of the spell that I wasn't able to tell you the truth. And even if I could, I would never have told you about it; otherwise, the curse wouldn't have been broken." Ivan explained to the others.

"Sheesh, what you did had us very worried." May said to Ivan.

"Forgive me," Ivan said. "But I had to break that spell somehow."

Carly and Ivan hugged each other as they started making wedding plans for the near future. They were to be wed, and it was going to be the best event of their lives.

"I love you, Ivan." Carly said, as she and Ivan once again kissed; the scene changed to them in their wedding attire.

They were standing in front of a priest at a church, and they were formally, and happily married to one another.

Carly and Ivan had a happy ending with each other. Their love never died, and many kisses would be shared between them.

Overall, for them, they had their Happily Ever After…

 _THE END_

* * *

 **That's that for this one. I can't really think of any other fairytales where I can really present a strong heroine. The rest of the fairytales that I know of feature the stereotypical Damsel in Distress. So, if you have any ideas, let me know.**


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